CSU AD says Boise State, SDSU might be better off staying in the MW

Nov. 20, 2012

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With none of the critical elements in place that convinced Boise State and San Diego State to accept invitations to join the Big East Conference, CSU Athletic Director Jack Graham believes both might want to reconsider their decisions and stay in the Mountain West Conference.

Although officials at Boise State and San Diego State reiterated their commitment Tuesday to joining the Big East for football next fall, they clearly have to be harboring second thoughts after seeing the Big East lose its automatic-qualifying status for the Bowl Championship Series last week and its top football program, when Rutgers accepted an invitation to join the Big Ten on Tuesday.

Syracuse and Pittsburgh already are on their way out of the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference next year, and Connecticut is expected to follow them as the ACC’s likely replacement for Maryland, which left Monday for the Big Ten.

“At least on the surface right now, based upon the things that have happened in the last three days, I think there’s a reasonable chance that we can have a rational conversation with those two universities to see whether or not they’re interested in rejoining the Mountain West Conference,” Graham said.

Graham said he’s been told the Big East’s media rights package will be worth “significantly less” than what Boise State and San Diego State were hoping for when they agreed to join the conference for football only, while putting basketball and most of their other programs in the Big West Conference.

“So, all of the reasons that Boise and San Diego State were compelled to leave the Mountain West and go to the Big East no longer appear to be present,” Graham said. “And the Mountain West Conference is a great home, it’s a great conference.”

MW commissioner Craig Thompson said through a spokesman that he has not been “directly involved” in conversations with Boise State or San Diego State about remaining in the conference beyond their scheduled departure June 30, 2013, but that he is “aware of several conversations between athletic directors, coaches and even presidents” that have taken place. San Diego State athletic director Jim Sterk and Boise State President Bob Kustra both issued statements Tuesday confirming the commitment of their schools to the Big East and denying reports they had been involved in discussions about remaining in the Mountain West.

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An ESPN.com report Monday said both schools were in discussions with the MW about remaining in the conference, and Brigham Young also was interested in coming back after leaving two years ago to become an independent in football. BYU officials have declined comment.

The MW already has agreed to add San Jose State and Utah State next year to remain at 10 teams for football and nine for most other sports after Boise State and San Diego State leave. Graham believes a 12- or 13-team conference would work and hopes that becomes an issue that the MW has to confront. The Southeastern Conference already is at 14 teams, and the Big Ten will be at 14 when Maryland and Rutgers complete their moves. The Mid-American Conference has 13 teams, while the ACC, C-USA and Pacific-12 all have 12 members.

CSU President Tony Frank couldn’t be reached for comment, but school spokesman Mike Hooker said, “We’re watching with interest, like everyone else is. We’re happy with the Mountain West at this point and looking to do all we can to build the MWC into the best conference it can be.”

The Big East was lumped into the same “Group of Five” as the MW when the BCS announced its plans to fill slots in six bowl games, including two that will serve as the semifinals of a four-team playoff for the national championship. The highest-rated team from the “Group of Five,” consisting of the Big East, MW, Conference-USA, Mid-American and Sun Belt conferences, will receive an automatic berth in one of the games. As a result, a Big East team will have no more access to the BCS title game than an MW team does when the new agreement begins in 2015.

The Big East isn’t expected to generate the kind of television riches it had hoped for either, which was a big selling point for San Diego State and Boise State, thanks to the latest changes in its membership. Houston, in fact, revealed it has an escape clause in its contract to join the Big East from Conference USA if the television revenue doesn’t reach a certain expectation when the Big East negotiates its new contract over the next month or two. Central Florida, Memphis and Southern Methodist also are headed to the Big East from C-USA next fall.